Rescue
by YoungWritersUnite
Summary: Calebra comforts Alex following a rescue.


It was 18 months before Alex was found. Most of the council had shrugged and said that's what dark mages do. Calebra knew that Alex wasn't like that. His friends and Landis agreed with her- Alex wouldn't just disappear without good reason. Morden seemed concerned, as well. Alex may be a jerk at times- she'd been angry about his comments when she was trying to arrest him, but she understood why he did it now. She remembered the emotion in his eyes. She couldn't name it at the time. It came back when he was asking- begging almost for help. She could name it now- he'd been afraid, afraid that someone was coming after him. She'd turned him away- calling him paranoid. He wasn't, in the end. When Morden had started asking what had happened to his aide, she realised that Alex may have been right after all.

When they finally found him, it was carnage. It was a former White Rose facility that was run by people they'd missed initially. One thing they weren't expecting was Alex to be chained to the wall. He'd been fighting based on the black eye. He had flinched as they entered but relaxed when he saw her and Landis amongst the forces. She'd organised him a wheelchair- his left leg was broken, and she didn't want to worsen his injuries. She had been deeply disturbed by his uncharacteristic silence.

They all headed to a nearby council facility. There had been too many non-mages around for the injured to be healed. Alex had been whisked off to be treated, and Calebra headed to the meeting. Morden stopped her just before she went into the meeting.

"I understand you found my aide," He said. Calebra nodded, bristling at Alex being reduced to his job title. "How is he?"

She blinked. Lacking Alex's powers of divination, she hadn't expected him to ask that.

"He's being treated," She said. "Other than that, I'm not sure."

"Was he hurt badly?" Morden asked

"Badly enough," She said. "It won't be easy for him."

There was a final call for the meeting, and they both went in. Morden sat up near the front, while Calebra stood at the back with Landis and Variam. Variam whispered to her "Alex?"

"Found him" She whispered back. Any further questions would have to wait as Levistus stood up. The room instantly went quiet.

"The mission was a success," He said. Many in the room clapped. "The captives have been taken to be treated, and statements will be taken from them in due course." Many mages around Calebra nodded.

"I understand that any allegations about my aide's conduct will be dropped due to the new information" Morden said, rising to his feet.

Levistus paused. "Of course. Aide Versus' disappearance and other actions appear to have been beyond his control. I do, however, suggest that he be placed with someone while he recovers. Are there any volunteers?"

Calebra raised her hand. "I volunteer."

"Keeper Calebra" Levistus acknowledged. "Are you sure that you can handle this."

Calebra heard Variam's snort and replied "I am sure that I can handle a diviner. He won't have any weapons, and I know I can handle anything he throws at me."

Levistus nodded. "See if you can get a statement from him." She nodded, continuing to keep her face blank.

Alex was waiting for her after the meeting. The worst of his injuries had been healed, although she could still see bruises and he was exceedingly pale. He greeted her as she approached, and she asked: "Need a shoulder." But he shook his head no and limped beside her as they headed for her car. "Variam is getting things from your flat." She said as she drove to her flat. "Let me know if there is anything else you need."

"Thank you" He said. He didn't say anything else on the drive back, and she didn't push it. She was worried, though- Alex wasn't usually this quiet.

She ordered take out for dinner. Alex wolfed his share down. Even without the energy needed for healing, he was too thin, and he hadn't had much too loose in the first place. "Alex, I'm sorry" She started. She cut off his protest. "I dismissed his concerns, and this is what happened."

"You couldn't have known," He said.

"You did" She pointed out. "Or at least suspected. And you tried to get help but we - I- let you down."

He went to bed soon after. He was utterly exhausted, so Calebra showed him her spare room and left him to it. She couldn't sleep though. She kept thinking about what she'd seen at the facility. IT was 2am when she heard the cries. She was already getting out of bed when Alex stumbled past her heading for the front door.

She caught up with him as he fumbled with the lock. He was clearly still caught up in a nightmare. She put her hand on the door and wrapped her other arm around him. She used her body weight to keep the door shut. He resisted, but the struggles stopped as he woke up. She waited until she was sure he was fully awake then released him. She pointed him at the settee and went to get a couple of beers. She put one in front of him and sat in the opposite chair. Alex was sitting hunched forward with his head in his hands, looking utterly defeated.

"Sorry," He said, looking up. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

She shrugged. "Bad dreams happen. I wasn't asleep anyway." She paused. "Did you see anything?"

He dropped his head back into his hands. "I Can't" He started, then looked up again. "You're going to have to repeat this, aren't you?"

"I will only repeat what you say I can," She said. "I will listen to you as a friend."

"But you want a statement." He pressed. "That's why I'm here."

"Levistus wants a statement" She acknowledged. "But I want you to recover, and I want to make sure that you're OK. If you want to make a statement, great but I won't force you. Unless you say otherwise, everything is strictly off the record."

She saw the flicker of relief on his face. "Thank you" He said. There was a moment's pause, and she watched his eyes lose focus for a moment.

When he refocused, he scowled. "You really can't see anything, can you?"

He shook his head. "The drugs." He started but stopped, studying the can of beer in his hands.

When he didn't continue, she said. "I won't think any less of you," She said gently.

He gave a hesitant smile. "I can't remember much." He admitted. "The drugs would knock me out significantly. I only remember bits and pieces. It also stopped me being able to see the future and I couldn't reach elsewhere."

"Luna said she'd tried to reach you but couldn't" Calebra remembered. "But we weren't sure if you were just keeping a really weird schedule."

"I was," Alex said. "I would be up late. Most of them enjoyed taking their frustrations out on a mage who couldn't fight back." He took a deep breath, and she placed a hand on his arm. He looked shattered.

"Alex listen to me," She said. "You've been through hell. I want these bastards punished for what they did to you. All of us who care about you do. I repeat what I said- I won't demand a statement from you. But I will try to get them punished. For your sake."

He smiled at her, a more genuine one this time. "Thank you."

"Get some sleep," She said. "It looks like you'll fall asleep at any moment. He let out a short laugh. It wasn't much, but she'd take it


End file.
